While they can be a sign that you've lived a happy life full of smiles, those lines on either side of the eyes, commonly known as crow's feet, smile or laughter lines, can be a frustrating aesthetic concern when they become permanent and lead you to feel that you have lost your youthful appearance.
They're nothing a little Botox can't fix though!
Crow’s feet are the wrinkles around your eyes caused by the contraction of the muscles surrounding your eyes (orbicularis oculi).
This muscle is attached to the skin, so when you make repetitive facial expressions, such as smiling or squinting you pull the skin around your eyes and create wrinkles.
This continual movement is what causes other wrinkles such as frown lines, eye wrinkles, laugh lines, smile lines, facial lines, and facial wrinkles.
There are several factors that can cause crow's feet, including:
Ageing: as we get older there are fewer elastin fibres in our skin because they break down faster than new ones are produced by our body – this causes the wrinkling that we see across our face and body.
Over-exposure to the sun: the sun is a major source of skin damage and ageing. It causes wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, age spots and freckles. The sun also contributes to the breakdown of collagen, which leads to saggy skin.
Facial expressions: frowning, squinting, smiling and laughing can cause increased pressure on certain areas, making them more susceptible to developing crow's feet!
Genetics: these can play a role in determining the severity of your crow's feet.
Yes, Botox is one of the most effective, popular and safe ways of eradicating the wrinkles associated with Crow's Feet by relaxing the muscles that cause Crow’s feet in the first place. Having a good skincare routine around your eyes and using sun protection will help you to maintain healthy skin around your eyes and delay the appearance of crow’s feet.
Botox is a brand name for botulinum toxin; a product that relaxes the muscles that cause wrinkles in order to reduce their appearance. Other brands of licensed botulinum toxin types available in the UK include Bocouture, Azzalure, Letybo and Nuceiva.
If you are interested in Botox for crow's feet, practitioners generally advise it is best to start early.
Note that a good practitioner will not treat anyone under the age of 18 with Botox injections. Crow’s Feet typically become deeper with age and the best results tend to be achieved when they are still relatively shallow.
Having Botox injections or any other licensed brand of botulinum toxin injected can give very natural results.
It will take less than 30 minutes to complete the procedure, which is relatively pain-free. You may feel a 'sharp scratch' as the needle goes in.
Expect to experience some redness and swelling immediately after treatment – this should reduce after a few hours.
If you are considering botulinum toxin treatment, you should know that it does not eliminate wrinkles entirely and you will need follow-up injections (or 'top-ups') every three to six months.
It really depends on what area of the country you're in and how experienced your practitioner is, with prices generally ranging from £200-£400.
Remember, cheap Botox treatments should never come before safety!
Botox treatment is measured in units delivered, however, most of the clinics in the UK charge by the area being treated and not by how many units are administered. If multiple areas are being treated, they may offer these at a discounted cost.
Side effects to Botox and other brands of botulinum toxin are rare, but can include:
Headaches
Swelling
Allergic reaction
Droopy eyelids
Dry eyes or mouth
The most dangerous complications are double vision and difficulty breathing, but these are thankfully extremely rare.
If you experience any side effects or complications, contact your practitioner immediately.
To receive the best results, Botox injections must be administered by a trained medical professional who understands how to properly inject a patient’s face.
We highly recommend that you only undergo treatment with a medically-qualified professional, who will have undergone training in anatomy and physiology, as well as be accountable to a regulatory body such as the General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), or General Dental Council (GDC).
They should also be able to advise you of the risks of injectable treatment and be confident in handling complications if they arise.
Check out our handy guide for finding a practitioner you can trust.
If you’re looking for an effective way to tackle your Crow's Feet, then relaxing them with botulinum toxin may be just the solution.
As always, if you have any questions you can use our Botox Q&A where you can ask for more advice direct from a trusted, experienced medical practitioner.
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